Family
by Gryphon31
Summary: When Alice is with Bella in Italy in New Moon, where is Jasper? Jasper's POV on those events. Extended rewrite.


This is Jasper's point of view as Alice is heading towards Italy in New Moon. rewritten with additions.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight also, Alice's words and some of her actions in the conversation that Alice has with Jasper when she's in the airplane are in the book. Jasper's are interprited by me.

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I had felt her determination as she told me she would leave. I had willingly agreed to let her go alone. After all, it was Forks, and since we had left, the monsters were gone. She didn't want me to go with her. She said that the funeral would affect my mind to much, that I would be depressed for the next two decades. I laughed, then, in my own stupidity, I let her go.

Isabella Swan was supposed to be dead. My wife had proclaimed it, and thus it was true. It had to be. This would be sad for many, but as a beautiful, graceful, lovely vampire (with an uncanny ability to predict the weather), once told me, "Death is only a new beginning. We are living, breathing proof of that." I had snickered at the time and she had given me a smile and the reply, "I knew you would find that amusing."

I had kissed her, and ignored the comment at the time. Now, it was only natural that I was focused on it. Could there be more for us? Or even for anyone, human or otherwise? Or was it like Edward had thought; vampires had no souls.

Carlisle looked at me sharply, and I stopped the light hiss that had come at the thought of _his_ name. If he survived this, I was debating killing him myself.

It was natural to be preoccupied with death right now. If Alice died because of Edward's actions, he and I would not be far behind.

Bella was not dead, and the fool had trusted the word of a werewolf over talking to Carlisle or Alice again. I didn't blame Rose. She did what I would've. Alice is rarely wrong.

It was a rare thing to think of Edward as young, and especially at the frozen age of vampires, but his actions seemed childish. Age is not usually a preoccupation of vampires. It's pointless. We don't usually sit around pointing at the bags around our eyes and the lines on our faces and say something along the lines of "See, see? I am getting old! Look at me!" It just isn't natural when you are frozen at an age in the most perfect form of you. There are the occasional times when I'm reminded how young Edward really is. I'm half a century older than him, and though we are frozen at similar ages, experience always comes into play. The child was not considering the effect his choices would have on others.

I released a breath I'd been consciously holding and then slipped out the back door into the trees. I needed a place far away from Carlisle where I could be angry with Edward without hurting him. He knew every time I hissed it was because I was thinking of him. No. I needed to force my mind down another path. Age, think about age. Even though seventeen through twenty-one seems like a great age to be frozen at, I have come to realize it isn't worth it. Carlisle finds peace by working as a doctor. No one would want to be treated by someone who can pass as seventeen, regardless as to the level of education they supposedly have received. A seventeen year old should be in high school, regardless of how many times they had taken it.

I came to a quick stop. I could no longer here Carlisle's breathing, nor could I hear the cars from the freeway that ran by the house. My mind darted down the path that I didn't want it to follow. After Alice left for the funeral, I had occupied my time doing typical nonsense, hunting, keeping up the human pretence. Actually, Esme asked me to go grocery shopping with her, likely to take her and my mind off things. I don't understand how humans can go in there. It smells disgusting. All the food is gross. Even the meat they have has no blood. We bought grocery supplies that humans keep for a week and dropped it off at a food pantry to be used later that day.

The moment we got back was the same moment everything had gone downhill.

Alice called and told me Bella was alive, and that somehow she'd been wrong, and Forks now had werewolves, but she had to go. Bella was expecting her back. She spoke so quickly, I couldn't get any words in other than a quick "I love you." before she hung up. I wasn't happy about the wolves, but to occupy myself, I wrote Alice letters, poems, and even a post card. Anyways, life went on as normal as possible like it had for the past couple months, only this time, Alice was also missing.

This wouldn't have presented a problem until I heard from Rose later when she called me. She had told Edward that Bella was dead, and he was going to the Volturi. Alice had seen it. She said that she and Em were headed east and would catch a plane to Italy soon. I had hung up and called Alice to check the story. She didn't answer. She had gone to the Volturi and she didn't want me to know, not until it was too late for me to follow.

I now dug my fists into a tree, angry that I couldn't protect her. The tree shuddered and gave into my strong grip. I dug my fingers into the center of the tree and jerked up, felling the tree and causing the bark to splinter. I smiled at the irony of the simile. The tree was splintering just like the fragments of my heart.

My phone trilled, and it was to my ear before it had completed the first second of its ringing.

"Alice, where are you?"

"You know where I'm headed."

"Yet you won't say it." I accused. I could hear the airplane in the background, as well as a human very nearby Alice. Bella.

"I'll be okay, Jazz." I stayed silent.

"You are going to go save Edward." The last word came out with a slight hiss.

"He needs help. I won't let him die if there is still a chance. What would you do if you were in my position?" She hadn't liked my hiss.

I sighed. "What is he going to do?" She took that as my approval of what she was doing.

"I can't be sure, I keep seeing him do different things, he keeps changing his mind…. A killing spree through the city, attacking the guard, lifting a car over his head in the main square… mostly things that would expose them- he knows that's the fastest way to force a reaction." She murmured.

"Fine." I kept my tone clipped. "I'll come meet you and help you stop him…"

"No, you can't." She interrupted and her voice became much quieter.

"Em's itching to go get him, even if it means a fight with the Volturi."

"Tell Emmett no."

"He's already gone. Rose left with him. I would've gone too, but they had already left when they called."

"Well, go after Emmett and Rosalie and bring them back." She was aggravated. I could picture her face. Her lips would be pursed, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why? I'm still not sure that I shouldn't go." I replied, waiting for an answer. She didn't answer for a second as if making sure the question wasn't rhetorical.

"Think about it, Jasper…" her voice had lost all signs of aggravation and had gained an enticing edge which instantly set me on my guard, "If he sees any of us, what do you think he will do?"

I exhaled quickly, annoyed with her rational argument. Then jumped to the ground, running after Em and Rose.

"Exactly." She pointed out, taking my breathing and accelerated motion as an answer, "I think Bella is the only chance- if there is a chance." The last part was even quieter, like she didn't really want me to hear it.

"What?" My words were a snarl and my vision started to become red like it had when I was a newborn.

"I'll do everything that can be done. But prepare Carlisle; the odds aren't good."

"Then why are you going? Edward made his choice. His decision is going to hurt their whole family. We could leave. We could go elsewhere. We aren't completely connected to them." It was desperate, and I didn't want to go, but I loved Alice to much not to try to sway her in a different direction. She laughed, and my stone heart trembled. She would refuse. The red became more intense as I decided to go after her.

"Don't die. Promise me you won't die." My voice was a whisper, begging for her return. I was already flying through the forest to send Rose and Em back, then hop on a plane and get to Italy.

"Yes, I promise." The words were empty and we both knew it. She continued speaking, this time it was her begging. "Don't follow me. I promise Jasper. One way or another, I'll get out…"

"Right." I mumbled, still flying toward Rose and Em, but this time, I wouldn't get on a plane. It went against every instinct that I had, but I would stay on this continent.

"I love you." My heart tugged again.

"Mary Alice Hale, I love you with every molecule in my being. You come back to me soon. See you soon." I hung up after she did.

"Liar." I swore to myself. She wasn't sure if she'd make it back. In that second, I understood completely why Edward had gone to the Volturi. I had known the reason; I just knew that I would've done more research. A tragedy like Romeo and Juliet was only romantic in literature. In actuality, it was the product of two stupid people not checking everything they heard. Rumors weren't good things. If Alice died, I too would die by the hands of the Volturi, after I killed Edward if he made it out alive.

I found the trail set by Em and Rose quickly. I had known where they were, and my anger was giving me the strength to go faster than ever before.

The wind was in my direction so I smelled them before I saw them. Emmett heard me before any of his other senses kicked around. He turned around snarling defensively and Rose dropped into a crouch. I sprung, attacking, fully aware that they wouldn't hurt me as soon as they caught my scent. It was a good anger management technique. WE should set up a class. "Anger management problems? Come here. Take your anger out on a vampire. They won't care. You can't hurt them anyways. We especially enjoy attacks with stakes."

All that in a twentieth of a second. My attack hadn't even begun and already I was in a better mood than before.

Emmett thrust his arms out in front of him, shoving me backwards in an effort to set me off balance. In that same action, he launched himself after me. I rolled backward and landed on my feet a millisecond before he landed where I was just standing. I vaulted over his back and landed behind it. He whirled around and his closed fist smashed into my shoulder. I snagged it with that same hand and he jerk his arm back like I expected. I ran with his momentum, bending his arm backwards until it was firmly against his back. With no leverage he was stuck. My other arm slipped around his neck and I snarled one word into his ear.

"Dead."

Emmett huffed. "You forgot one important detail."

In that moment, I spun Emmett and I around and Rosalie collided with Emmett in an earsplitting crack.

"Never." My lips curled up into the widest smile I could manage. So really, one side twitched.

"Why are you hear anyway. We don't have time to mess around. We need to get to Italy." Emmett asked, annoyed.

"You're just annoyed that I beat you." I teased, trying to keep my spirit light for as long as possible. It didn't work. I sighed. "I talked to Alice. She wants you all to stay here."

"What?" Emmett hissed. Rosalie grimaced. I got the feeling she was mostly doing this to protect him.

"She isn't sure of the rate of survival." I replied, monotone.

"Great. Just great. Isn't that more of a reason that we should go?" Emmett argued.

"She also pointed out that Edward is expecting us. The only thing that could stop him is Bella." I explained. I watched Emmett's face crumple.

"So I'm just supposed to wait here until we get word as to if they survived?" Emmett asked.

I huffed, annoyed. "And I'm sure it will be difficult. After all, you have a brother and sister over there. Never mind who I have over there. My wife, the one who gave me a will to continue this existence is heading over there right now. She isn't sure if they will survive, and all of this is happening because of Edward over reacting." I paused, swallowing as to the next ties I had to cut. "Actually, no. It isn't all because of Edward's over reaction; it's because of what you said." I glared at Rosalie.

"Hey." Emmett's voice told me to watch my step. In that same metaphor, I ran forward, skipping gleefully. Internally, I laughed at that image. Perhaps I should be throwing flowers too. It took a sixth of a second for me to get back to the matter at hand. I hoped that they would contribute it to thoughtful debate, and not images of flower throwing.

"It's your fault Edward chose to die, and so it's also your fault that Alice is taking Isabella there also." I pointed directly at Rose as I spoke. She looked like she was about to jump on me, but Emmett beat her to the punch, literally. Internally, I giggled. Apparently it was possible for vampires to go insane because I was full of strange word play tonight. Instead, I allowed a chuckle to pass my lips. I felt it was appropriate as I flew backward from the force behind Em's hit. "Is that the best you can do? You always did think you were better than you actually were. That barely hurt. An untrained newborn could fight way better than you." I taunted getting up.

"What are you doing?" Emmett glared at me, already next to me. Rosalie hung back. I could see her anger at me was being trumped by her guilt as to what was happening.

"Well, seeing as Alice is going to die anyway, I don't see much of a point to pretend that I care about you anymore. You or the rest of your…" I let a look of distaste come across my face as I spat out the last to words, "vegetarian family."

Emmett picked me up by my collar and shoved me against the nearest tree. He then proceeded to beat me into a pulp, if I was human. Surprisingly, I was a bit more resilient. Anger management; attach a vampire. I chortled out loud. "Is there a pack of mosquitoes around here? If I wanted to feel more pain, I'd go to them. At least they _might_ hurt." Emmett's face twisted into a look of pain and disbelief.

He took off running back the way I came. After glaring at me, Rosalie followed.

"That's right!" I called after them, "Run! Run like the tame cowards you are! Prepare Carlisle for the death of his family!" The last word came out in a sneer.

Rosalie appeared in front of me again. "At least we have a family. Back to a lone wolf Jazz? Or maybe a dog; a very thirsty dog. How's that pain in your throat?" She asked, smirking sweetly. Then she was gone.

I smiled. They were hurt enough to go comfort Carlisle and stay home. Good. Unfortunately, Rosalie was smart enough to know how to find my pain. My throat was burning. Blood. I needed blood. No, I couldn't hunt a human. I may have hurt him very much, but I couldn't betray the man who had given Alice and me a home for the past many years. I inhaled. I was lucky. There was a bear nearby.

After I finished my snack, I ran toward the East coast. I couldn't go back to the family now. If Alice didn't contact me in twenty-four hours, I was heading over. I focused on that decision hard enough that she would see it, even with her focus on Edward.

Then I had to wait. I reached the east coast too quickly. I ran the length of it several times, deliberately not thinking. What was going on across the ocean? What was taking so long? I was in West Virginia heading north for the seventh time when my phone trilled, I picked it up.

"Alice?"

"I'm sorry Jasper, but no. It's Carlisle. Have you heard anything more since you were with Emmett and Rosalie?" There was a sharp note in his voice that told me he knew about the conversation I had with them.

"No. Alice hasn't called back." I knew my voice sounded dead.

"Give me the phone." Esme commanded from in the background. I need to talk to him.

Carlisle didn't respond, but he heard the phone exchange hands.

"Jasper." It was Esme, "Please, come home. I know you are worried about Alice, but we're worried for her too. I can't stand that three of my family are gone. Son, please, come back." She sounded heartbroken. She truly thought of us as her children.

"I am not your son." I hissed, loud enough for Carlisle to also hear. I needed to destroy that relationship. The twenty-four hours were almost up, and I wanted to prepare her for the worst. Beyond that, I just didn't care. If Alice was dead, nothing mattered anymore. I ended the call and checked the caller ID when it rang again. Carlisle's number again. I let it go to voice mail.

I checked my watch. Alice's twenty-four hours were almost up. I headed toward the airport. There was a flight to Italy leaving in three minutes. That was good. I didn't bother buying a ticket. I headed out to the runway and prepared to board the plane. I pulled my jacket hood up, and pulled my skin colored gloves high on my arms in order to protect the family, even though jumping onto the plane wasn't something typically done by humans.

I saw the plane begin to roll out of the boarding area and head for takeoff. I jumped the fence to the runway and ran fast enough so the human eyes wouldn't see me. I was about to jump on when my phone trilled again. I glanced at the caller ID and stopped in my tracks.

"Alice."

"Jazz get out of the runway! You'll be seen!" Her voice hissed across the line. I scrambled off, knowing that she was right, and she was alive.

"You're alive." I stated.

"It was close for a couple minutes, but we made it. All three of us made it. We're heading back home. We should be there in under twenty-four hours. I'm going to call Carlisle. I'll be home soon, I promise." She paused for a half a second and then spoke again, disapproval written in her tones, "And you had better talk to them too, Jasper. Do you have so little faith in me?" She teased gently.

"It was better this way. They were ready for loss." I replied defensively.

"Uh huh." She replied, skeptical.

I brought out a true smile. I could see her face. Her free hand would be on her hip, her lips pursed, with a slight smile, her eyes still disappointed. "I love you, Alice" I said, laughing, this time it wasn't due to insanity.

"I love you too. Now and forever." She replied. She hung up. I knew I was forgiven; at least by one out of five. If she was alive, then the family did still matter.

I ran back home quickly, faster than I had ever ran before, even in anger. They were alive. I felt awful. I had hurt Esme and Carlisle after all that they had done for Alice and me. I had decimated Emmett's self esteem and who knew how long it would take to rebuild that?

When I got home, Esme was on the front porch standing as if she could make them be home faster just by standing there.

The wind was blowing towards me and she hadn't seen me yet.

"Ma'am, I'd like to apologize for the pain I caused you. I am truly sorry that I hurt you and if you would allow me to come home," I started, for the first time in my life as a vampire, stuttering over words. I stood off the porch. I suddenly found my shoes to be much more interesting than they had ever been.

I was wrapped in a hug that was inescapable. This was no grip of a newborn. It was much, much tighter. It was the hug of a mother.

"Of course Jasper. I missed you. I'm so glad you came back." She cried. She had a smile on her face that was so full of love it would be impossible not to want to return home.

Carlisle came out, glancing down at some papers. "Esme, they'll be at the Sea-Tac airport in two hours. Then he took a deep breath and glanced up. It wasn't like he hadn't seen me when he came out; it was more like he had just realized what my presence meant.

"Jasper. You came back." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Sir, I apologize for my behavior and my comments earlier today. If you would allow me to stay after what I've done, then I would be grateful and in your debt. If not, then please allow me to grab a few things from my room and you won't have me under your roof again." I looked down, not meeting his eyes. I had hurt both of them, and while Esme was willing to forgive me, I would understand if Carlisle didn't want me in their home again.

"Well," he said finally, "of course you can. Jasper, you are part of our family even if you don't think of us that way."

"Thank you." I replied, and he, too, embraced me. For the first time, I truly felt as if I really belonged there, not just as a spoke off Alice.

I slipped up the stairs to find Emmett. He was in the garage, pounding on a large piece of stone.

"Get out." HE snarled as I slipped in. His eyes never left the stone.

"Em…" I started.

"NO! I don't want to hear it Jasper. Alice is the only one who means a single thing to you. I get it. I thought I had another brother, but I was wrong. Don't you dare insult my intelligence by pretending that was nothing." Emmett snarled. Then he turned away.

I sat down on the step to the garage. "What would you do to save Rosalie? More importantly, what _wouldn't _you do to save her?" I paused, letting it sink in. He wasn't going to say anything. He was acting as if I didn't exist. "Now take those actions and add to it that you already know she is going o die. There is nothing you can do. No, I take that back. The most you can do is follow her, but make sure the other people she loves most don't follow you. You would try to keep her memory alive, even if you weren't going to be a part of it. I had to cut ties with you. I know you would take on the Volturi for your family, even if you died in the process. I didn't want that to happen. I think of you as a brother. If you've ever watched Animal Planet, you see the predator's pups play fight with each other to work on there fighting skills. That is how we relate. I attacked your self esteem with the hopes of enlarging it, after all, we both know how much it needs it." My joke had the desired effect. Emmett smiled.

"Fine." He hugged me, which I wasn't expecting, but I didn't mind. "Just know that you are awful at raising a person's self esteem. And by the way, no fair with the mood calming making me want to forgive you stuff. Okay?"

I nodded. "Okay."

Four for five. Now for the most difficult one. It wasn't up to me to convince Rose that it wasn't her fault, after all, it was Bella's, so I'd leave that to someone else. What I would do, was apologize for being so rough with my words. They had come out harsher than I expected.

"I forgive you." Rose was standing in her doorway, staring at me as I came up the stairs.

"I havn't even apologized yet." I replied.

"You hurt Emmett. You hurt him a lot. Yet you were willing to risk death and apologize for it. And after all, all you did to me was point out the truth." She answered, her eyes still depressed.

"Did you make Bella go cliff jumping and land in one of Alice's blind spots?" I asked.

She cocked her head sideways, not seeing where I was going. "No."

"Then it isn't really your fault. You were just communicating what you had heard."

She half smiled, but she didn't really believe it.

"We should get to the airport, just in case they arrive early." Esme stated, from the first floor.

I rode with her and Carlisle while Em and Rose took the other car down to the airport. Waiting with nowhere to run was easier than it would've been otherwise. I actually had people who cared about me.

When the plane landed, I moved closer to the platform. Alice was on there. I registered that Bella and Edward were with her, but Alice was the one in front. She danced over to me.

I stared at her. I felt her love for me as she brought that emotion toward me. I showed her my anger and despair that she had left me behind. She showed me that it was because of her love. I showed her my restlessness and how scared I was after she left. She showed me she was just as scared. I let my love for her flow out.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, and then she smiled at me.

"Don't do that to me again." I told her as I wrapped my arms around her and let her smell surround me. She was home again.

There was only one lose end to tie up.

"Come on Jazz, don't do this." Alice begged as I sat outside Bella's house at night, waiting for Edward to come out when Bella wouldn't notice his absence.

"You can already see me doing it, so don't tell me not to do it." I replied.

She pursed her lips, annoyed.

Finally, Edward launched himself out the window.

"You wanted to talk with me? HE asked coldly, already knowing what was in my mind."

"Yes." I replied. "If you ever get Alice into another life or death situation, I will cheerfully kill you, then have Bella for dessert." He could tell by my mind that I was dead serious about killing him. (Hmmm… maybe my bad puns aren't a result of insanity) He could also tell that I was mostly joking about killing Bella… mostly.

"Fine." He replied. "As long as you understand that if you kill Bella, I will have to kill you." Edward replied.

"Oh, why don't you both hug and get over it? I've already seen you hug." Alice complained. My wife was lovely, and she was always right.

I embraced Edward, my brother.

The family, **my** family, was whole again.

* * *

_A/N: I like the Jasper Alice relationship and I hope I captured some of it, as well as establishing the Cullen's as a family with a family structure. Reveiw please. _


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